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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE New Bunny Not Eating and Drinking Enough?

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    • Lilli!
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        On Sunday afternoon I picked up my new bunny, she is absolutely adorable, her name is Freya! I’ve noticed that she has not been eating her pellets and she is not drinking from her water bottle. I am feeding her the same exact food that she had at her previous home, and I also know that she used to drink from a water bottle. I have given her a bowl of water, which she does drink from and I have been giving her lots of greens which she will eat. Should I be taking her to the vet just to make sure she is okay? Also does anyone have any tips on getting her to eat and drink. 

        I will include pictures of her feeder and water bottle!!! 


      • Wick & Fable
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          Ditch the bottle and have two bowls (1 as back up just in case she soils the other). It’s easier for rabbits to drink from bowls hence they’ll drink more than if they had a bottle. Also, even in great quality bottles, in both single and double ball models, air can get in the tube, preventing water flow. A rabbit won’t know to keep trying or to whack it to get it to work, so rabbits will just not drink until the owner notices the bottle has malfunctioned.

          You want her eating hay. Hay should be almost 70-80% of her diet, definitely close or above 80% when she’s older than 7mo. If she was fed greens before you had her, only feed a very small quantity once per day, or cut it out in general until she’s older. Young rabbit digestive tracts are sensitive and aren’t too good with veggies, even if they seem so. As a future note when she does get veggies once per day later on, you should introduce any new veggies slowly. Rapid introduction/consumption of a novel veggie can lead to major digestive issues, since you have no idea how your rabbit will react to it. For example, cucumber peels and parsley are considered safe for rabbits, but a nail-sized piece of cucumber peels gave Wick a diarrheal episode, and parsley makes him pee uncontrollably. Slow introductions, always!

          Now your rabbit may not be super enthused by the hay you hay (you should have alfalfa hay at this point, potentially starting to transition to Timothy/orchard/oat in the next couple months). Alfalfa is more dense in nutrients, which is fitting for a growing rabbit.

          Your rabbit should get a good amount of pellets. She may not eat the entire bowl, but she should be eating some of it. If she’s hungry and doesn’t want pellets, she should be eating hay.

          If you have been feeding her veggies continuously, especially those she hasn’t been introduced to yet, she may be having an unpleasant gut reaction to all the veggies, potentially causing a lack of appetite because she’s too uncomfortable or in pain.

          I think a trip to an EXPERIENCED RABBIT vet is necessary, if you haven’t already. Primarily, you should go to a rabbit vet ASAP so you can get a professional to check her out for anything concerning, as well as discuss with you proper diet and care. Secondly, if there’s something wrong with her hindering her appetite, a professional needs to diagnose it so you know the appropriate steps. While on this site a lot of users use tips from others to cure their rabbits of small discomfort, I think since you just got her and are unsure of her usual behavior, in conjunction with her age and the red flag of lack of appetite, you need to see a rabbit vet.

          I highly recommend my advice above, but additionally, knowing what you’ve fed her, how much she’s pooping and peeing, how active she is (running around?), how she lounges (spreading out limbs or hunched up?), and what behaviors she may be doing (grinding teeth, grooming) would be helpful. Can you provide this information?

          I do stress see a rabbit vet if you haven’t with her already.

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


        • Lilli!
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            Wow! Thank you so much, this has been very helpful.

            I plan on picking up a second water bowl and some alfalfa hay today. Right now we are giving her timothy hay, and she seems to like it but maybe she’ll like alfalfa better! I have been putting it in a toilet paper tube which she absolutely loves, but I also have a hay feeder.

            I have noticed Freya eating more pellets! We were told she would eat half a cup a day so I was worried when she was only nibbling on it. We have been feeding her dandelion greens, which we were told were her favorites. I have also given her small amount of basil and kale, but not too much. 

            I have found three or four vets in the area, I am going to call them today and pick the best one and make an appointment ASAP. 

            She’s being fed Manna Pro Select Pro. At first she wasn’t pooping or peeing much but now that she has started drinking and eating more, she’s going to the bathroom more frequently. She is a very active bunny, she loves being adventurous and exploring the room she’s in. She sometimes lounges spread out, but she is sometimes also hunched up. I have seen Freya grooming, but I am not sure if she has been grinding her teeth. She will also nudge, and sometimes nip a little. Freya also leaves territorial droppings around her cage. She has been moving her litter box around, and now that I’ve zip-tied it to her cage, she will dump half of the box over. 

            Again, thank you so so much!


          • sarahthegemini
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              If she’s drinking from the bowl then she’s still drinking so it’s not a problem. Just keep the bowl. Most bunnies prefer bowls over bottles anyway.


            • Wick & Fable
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                She’s being fed Manna Pro Select Pro.
                — Unfamiliar with brand. I did this when I saw Wick’s vet, which she found useful— I brought a small sample of Wick’s food, litter, poo, etc. for examination. This was also because Wick was sneezing up a storm and samples were needed for diagnosing, but the more informed the vet, even if they don’t really need it, the better in my opinion.

                At first she wasn’t pooping or peeing much but now that she has started drinking and eating more, she’s going to the bathroom more frequently.
                — Great!

                She is a very active bunny, she loves being adventurous and exploring the room she’s in.
                — Excellent. Make sure to rabbit proof as necessary.

                She sometimes lounges spread out, but she is sometimes also hunched up.
                — Lounged out is good. Loafing, which is hunched up, is also fine, but if you see Freya’s exclusively loafing, rather than lounging, or seems very reluctant to lounge out, it’s a sign of discomfort or pain.

                I have seen Freya grooming, but I am not sure if she has been grinding her teeth.
                — Teeth grinding is a sign of pain, so it’s good you’re not seeing it. It usually makes an audible sound. Teeth chattering is a sign of content, so it’s good to witness that. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell grinding and chattering apart, but general, if you can hear it really clearly, it’s probably grinding. If it’s in the context of being relaxed, most likely chattering.

                She will also nudge, and sometimes nip a little.
                — Various things; Wick nudges me to move out of his way, in addition for attention. Nipping for Wick is “Stop that”, “Pet me”, “I need to pee, let me go”, or “I want food”. It’s all about context there.

                Freya also leaves territorial droppings around her cage.
                — Typical of young rabbits. How old is she? It varies for each rabbit, but some have major success in litter training at even a young age, though territorial poos may still appear. This dissipates following a spay/neuter, which you should 100% get when your vet feels she’s ready. Make sure your vet is experienced with spays especially, as that surgery is invasive and presents many more complications than a neuter.

                She has been moving her litter box around, and now that I’ve zip-tied it to her cage, she will dump half of the box over.
                — That’s typical too unfortunately. Depending on whether she’s a digger or not. I wonder if you can duct tape it to the floor, or put it against a right-corner of the cage. If you can get it on a right-corner of a cage, you can zip tie 3 corners, guaranteeing flipping as impossible.

                … Also. In an age where everyone can look everything up, a vet can’t really gauge whether or not you’re knowledgeable and/or comfortable with having a pet rabbit, so when you meet him/her, ask questions! Whether they be general or specific, so your vet can know “Oh, in future appointments, I should mention…..”, and things of that nature.

                The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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            Forum DIET & CARE New Bunny Not Eating and Drinking Enough?